Night one was spent locating the hostel and finding our bearings in the new surroundings. We immediately took notice of the city’s distinct architecture, convenient bike lanes, and its many canals. We read that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice and as many bicycles as they have people (pop. >700,000). The city is packed with each and we especially admire how the city is built for riding a bike anywhere you want to go. As the sun went down a quick walk through the Red Light District gave us a glimpse into the diverse culture Amsterdam houses within its borders.
The next day began with a modest breakfast and good conversation with our four roommates who were traveling from Korea. Soon after, we headed to the city square where we participated in a walking tour around the city. Our guide led about 40 of us to all of the major sights: The National Monument, the Waag, the Red Light District, Anne Frank’s House, the infamous coffee shops, etc. Aside from seeing what the city had to offer, our guide provided some historical information about Amsterdam and answered some of the popular questions from the crowd. Some of these included: “am I wrong, or are most of the buildings leaning over?” and “what is the deal with all of the women in the windows?” and “is marijuana legal in Amsterdam?” Answers: Yes they are purposefully leaning; prostitution is legal, and not legal but tolerated. We definitely learned that Amsterdam is a town of tolerance, except when it comes to tourists walking in the bike lanes… LOOK OUT!
Feeling fulfilled from our Amsterdam experience, we booked a hostel in small coastal town called Noordwijk and took a late night shuttle out toward the North Sea. A small hostel crammed with backpackers from all around the world awaited us upon arrival.
The next morning we decided that walking around Europe with a backpack on was not enough exercise to keep us in the shape that we desired. So taking steps the right direction, we jogged down the road to the beach, took off the shoes and socks, and enjoyed a run along the North Sea. The bright sun and powerful crashing waves were a welcoming accompaniment to our exercise for the day. The remainder of the day was spent walking through the shopping district and enjoying a supermarket dinner of cheeses from Holland, a baguette, meat, apples and red wine. Perfecto!
The following morning we took the bus to the train station where outside was the largest parking lot we have ever seen – for bicycles of course. We were confident that there were over 1,000 bicycles squeezed into every space available. It was an amazing sight. We hopped on the train and it was next stop Brussels.
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